Adjustable swinging tray for high chairs

ABSTRACT

In combination with the arms of a high chair, a tray having a detachable snap connection with respect to one arm and a removable and adjustable swinging bracket connecting the tray to the other arm so that the tray is swingable in a compound manner on arcs having axes generally parallel to the arm to which it is secured and also on an axis at right angles thereto.

United States Patent Beniamin K. Burnham Gardner, Mass. 73,096

Sept. 17,1970

Jan. 4, 1972 Thayer, Inc.

Gardner, Mas.

Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee ADJUSTABLE SWINGING TRAY FORHIGH CHAIRS 6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 297/ 155, 297/153, 297/162 Int. Cl A47c 7/68 Field of Search 297/l 50,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,468,683 4/1949 Michal297/155 X 2,799,324 7/1957 Anderson 297/150 325,178 8/1885 Knowlton...297/155 2,728,378 12/1955 Hamilton 297/151 2,979,118 4/1961 Gelman297/150 3,547,488 12/1970 Barnes 297/154 Primary Examiner-James T.McCall Attorney-Charles R. Fay

ABSTRACT: In combination with the arms of a high chair, a tray having adetachable snap connection with respect to one arm and a removable andadjustable swinging bracket connecting the tray to the other arm so thatthe tray is swingable in a compound manner on arcs having axes generallyparallel to the arm to which it is secured and also on an axis at rightangles thereto.

PATENTED JAN 41912 SHEET 2 [IF 2 ADJUSTABLE SWINGING TRAY FOR HIGHCHAIRS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There have been many proposals in theprior art providing high chair trays which are adapted to swing both ina plane transverse to the arm of the high chair and parallel withrespect thereto for the reason that it is desireable to be able to swingthe tray out of the way from its operative position in front of theinfant to a position where it hangs down from the arm in a completelyout of the way position without the necessity for swinging the tray to afull 270 are from its horizontal position in use to its verticalposition depending from the arm. This allows the mother to lift theinfant in and out of the chair with a great deal of ease compared to theold fashioned swinging tray. Also it would be advantageous to provide aonehanded operation so that the mother can move the tray from itsoperative position to a safe depending position while she is holding theinfant in the arm not being used for manipulating the tray.

General objections in the past have been too complicated in structurefor the purpose described; not being able to completely remove the traywhen desired; and not being able to adjust the tray forward orbackwardly with a maximum amount of ease and minimum amount of handling.It is therefore the general purpose of the present invention to providea very simple construction for one-handed operation so that a tray maybe securely latched across the arms of a high chair in adjusted positionbut may be unlatched and swung around and down to essentially a position270 with respect thereto while the mother is still busy with the otherhand minding the infant, etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In combination with the two generally parallelarms of a high chair, a bracket, said bracket being mounted for limitedrotational motion on one of said arms, said bracket including asupplemental plate pivotally mounted thereon to swing in a direction atright angles to the motion of the bracket simultaneously therewith, saidbracket having a fore-and-aft adjustment with respect to the arm onwhich it is mounted; together with an easy finger operated latch tolatch the tray to the other arm in generally fixed position relativethereto for disposition when the tray is in use and for easy detachmenttherefrom, wherein said bracket has a portion extending partially aboutthe arm on which it is mounted and having means for adjusting it foreand aft as well as completely removing it from the high chair.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a plan view with partsbroken away illustrating the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation looking in the direction of arrow 2 in FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a view in front elevation showing the tray in dependentvertical position;

FIG. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale showing the bracket and tray inhorizontal position, looking in the direction of arrow 4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view on an enlarged scale looking in the direction of arrow5 in FIG. 3, with the tray removed;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a bracket modified for use with a wooden arm;and

FIG. 7 is a view in elevation looking in the direction of arrow 7 inFIG. 6, with the tray horizontal.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In FIGS. 1 and 2 the arms of ahigh chair are indicated at I and 12. Conveniently these arms are in theform of a U-shaped metallic tubular member having a closed end 14 andthis may be secured in horizontal relationship to the high chair in anyway desired, e.g., at the back. Each of .the arms is provided sideaspects thereof. For example, in arm 12 these apertures are forthereception of a spring pressed finger-retractable latch button 16mounted on a U-shaped bracket 18 the latter being connected at theclosed end thereof 20, see FIGS. 2 and 3, with respect to the undersideof tray 22. This bracket is therefore latched in adjustable positionlongitudinally with respect to arm 12 and is permanently connected withrespect to the underside of tray 22, so that the tray is thus adjustablealong arm 12.

At the opposite side of the tray there is a flat plate generallyindicated at 24 which is secured with respect to the tray 22 at an edgethereof opposite the bracket 18. This plate has a swivel 26 at theunderside thereof swivelly connecting the same with respect to a plate28, plate 28 having a rounded or arc-shaped edge portion 30 which isadapted to be received about the arm 10, concentrically thereon.

The arcuate portion 30 of plate 28 is provided with a plurality of slots32 spaced longitudinally of arm 10 and selectively receiving aspring-pressed button 34 mounted in the arm 10 and protruding to alimited extent therefrom. By pressing the button 34 out of the area ofthe rounded portion 30 of plate 28 the latter may be adjustablypositioned longitudinally of arm 10in accordance with the adjustment ofthe bracket 18. These adjustments are easily accomplished simultaneouslyto adjust the tray. However, the tray is attached to arm 10 even thoughthe button 34 is pressed, but upon retracting button 16, bracket 18 isfree of arm 12.

Assuming that the tray is in operative position which is illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2 and it is desired to move the tray out of the way of arms10 and 12, but not to detach it from the high chair, the button 16 ispulled to release the same from the arm 12 whereupon the tray 22 may beswung upwardly about arm 10 as an axis and at the same time swungforwardly on swivel 26 to come down to the vertical depending positionin FIG. 3. If it is desired to do so the tray may be swung up to anupright vertical position 90 from that shown in FIG. 2 and then down afurther l80 into the FIG. 3 position; but the construction recitedallows the action to be made in the compound manner, with the two swivelactions simultaneous, and this is very quick and easy to accomplish.

If it is then desired to remove the tray completely from the high chairit is only necessary to retract button 16 and press button 34 'out ofthe way of the arcuate portion 30 of plate 28, and slide the entiredevice from the arms whereupon the tray is completely divorced from thehigh chair. It is just as easy to return the tray to position on arms 10and I2 either by first placing it by sliding it onto arm 10 to thedesired adjustment and then swinging the tray in a clockwise position inFIG. 2 so that the bracket 18 then becomes latches to am 12; or button34 may be pushed in and button 16 pulled out and the tray can be appliedto both arms simultaneously if this should be desired.

The foregoing has illustrated the invention as applied to a metallictubular high chair in which the arms 10 and 12 are both hollow tubes,but the invention is also applicable to a high chair having wooden arms,see FIGS. 6 and 7. In this case the tray is the same as before, and thelatch to the right-hand arm 12 may be the same as before described orany other adjustable latch may be used also. However, as shown in FIG. 6the reference numeral 40 indicates a wooden arm at the lefthand side ofthe high chair, in place of arm 10, and a pair of facing angle brackets42-42 are mounted thereon, joumaling between them a bar 44 havingintumed ears 4646 pivoted with respect to brackets 42. This bar isprovided with a series of apertures for the reception of a springpressed manually operated member 48 on a plate 50 forming a flange at aright angle to a plate 52, the latter having a swivel 54 connected to aplate 56 which is attached to the tray 22. Thus with a righthand armlatch as in FIG. I and the parts as shown in FIG. 7, the tray 22' isheld in horizontal position. To release it, it is necessary to releasethe right-hand arm as before, then swing the tray up and around towardsthe user so it will depend as with a plurality of longitudinally spacedapertures at the outshown in FIG. 3, see FIG. 6. The axes are the pins60 that connect brackets 42 with ears 46 and bar 44, and the swivel 54which is the equivalent of swivel 26.

To completely remove tray 22' from the high chair, button 48 isretracted to clear bar 44, and the tray and members 54, 56 and plate 50as well as button 48, may be slid off the bar, which stays in place onarm 40 unless brackets 42, 42, should be removed.

I claim:

1. In combination with the arms of a high chair, a tray, a swivelbracket on said tray comprising a member attached to the tray, a swivelon the member, said swivel having an axis normal to the general plane ofthe tray, a second member attached to the swivel for swiveling relativeto the first member, and means on the second member to swivel on one ofthe arms of the tray,

manually operated means for longitudinally adjusting the tray relativeto the arm,

means for detachably and longitudinally adjustably connecting theopposite end of the tray with respect to the other arm of the highchair, wherein said second member has a portion thereof disposed aboutthe arm of the high chair, the arm of the high chair being rounded andthe portion disposed about it also being rounded, a plurality of arcuate slots in said rounded portion, and a spring finger mounted insaid arm and selectively extending through one of said slots.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the second member includes a bar,and the swivel means thereon comprises a pair of spaced ears on the barswiveled to a pair of brackets on the said one arm.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the second member includes anelongated element and the swivel means thereon has an axis parallelthereto.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the second member includes anelongated element and the swivel means thereon has an axis parallelthereto, and a detachable connection between the first and secondmembers.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein the second member includes anelongated element and the swivel means thereon has an axis parallelthereto, and a detachable connection between the first and secondmembers, said detachable connection being adapted to secure the firstmember in longitudinally adjusted relation to the elongated element.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein the second member includes a bar,and the swivel means thereon comprises a pair of spaced ears on the barswiveled to a pair of brackets on the said one arm, said brackets beingfastened to the one arm.

1. In combination with the arms of a high chair, a tray, a swivelbracket on said tray comprising a member attached to the tray, a swivelon the member, said swivel having an axis normal to the general plane ofthe tray, a second member attached to the swivel for swiveling relativeto the first member, and means on the second member to swivel on one ofthe arms of the tray, manually operated means for longitudinallyadjusting the tray relative to the arm, means for detachably andlongitudinally adjustably connecting the opposite end of the tray withrespect to the other arm of the high chair, wherein said second memberhas a portion thereof disposed about the arm of the high chair, the armof the high chair being rounded and the portion disposed about it alsobeing rounded, a plurality of arcuate slots in said rounded portion, anda spring finger mounted in said arm and selectively extending throughone of said slots.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the secondmember includes a bar, and the swivel means thereon comprises a pair ofspaced ears on the bar swiveled to a pair of brackets on the said onearm.
 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the second member includes anelongated element and the swivel means thereon has an axis parallelthereto.
 4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the second memberincludes an elongated element and the swivel means thereon has an axisparallel thereto, and a detachable connection between the first andsecond members.
 5. The combination of claim 1 wherein the second memberincludes an elongated element and the swivel means thereon has an axisparallel thereto, and a detachable connection between the first andsecond members, said detachable connection being adapted to secure thefirst member in longitudinally adjusted relation to the elongatedelement.
 6. The combination of claim 1 wherein the second memberincludes a bar, and the swivel means thereon comprises a pair of spacedears on the bar swiveled to a pair of brackets on the said one arm, saidbrackets being fastened to the one arm.